In this article, we will be discussing how to clear Xmodmap settings on Ubuntu. Xmodmap is a utility for modifying keymaps and pointer button mappings in Xorg, the open-source X Window System that Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions use.
To clear Xmodmap settings on Ubuntu, you can use the setxkbmap command. This command resets the key bindings to the default configuration, effectively clearing any changes made using Xmodmap. However, it’s important to note that using setxkbmap may affect all language layouts and can cause confusion if you are using xmodmap for key binding modifications.
Understanding Xmodmap
Xmodmap is a part of the X Window System that allows you to modify the keyboard and mouse settings. It’s a way to change the behavior of your keyboard keys and mouse buttons. It’s particularly useful if you want to customize your input devices to suit your preferences or if you need to correct keys that are out of place.
Clearing Xmodmap Settings
To clear Xmodmap settings, you can use the setxkbmap command. This command is a part of the X Keyboard Extension (XKB), which provides a more modern way of configuring the keyboard in Xorg.
Here is the basic syntax of the setxkbmap command:
setxkbmap [options] [layout]The options parameter is used to specify various options, and the layout parameter is used to specify the keyboard layout. For example, you can use the command setxkbmap -layout us to reset the keyboard to the default US layout.
Using setxkbmap
The setxkbmap command resets the key bindings when it’s run. This means that any changes you’ve made using Xmodmap will be cleared.
To check the default configuration in /etc/X11/xorg.conf, you can use the following command:
sed -n '/Identifier.*Keyboard/,/EndSection/p' /etc/X11/xorg.confThis command will print the keyboard section of the Xorg configuration file. You can then use the corresponding setxkbmap command to reset the keyboard to the default configuration.
For example, if the output includes XkbModel "pc105", XkbLayout "us", and XkbOptions "grp:alt_shift_toggle", you can use the following command to fully reset the keyboard:
setxkbmap -model pc105 -layout us -option grp:alt_shift_toggleIn this command, -model pc105 specifies the keyboard model, -layout us specifies the keyboard layout, and -option grp:alt_shift_toggle specifies the keyboard options.
Important Considerations
It’s important to note that the command setxkbmap -layout us may reset the layout for all language supports you have. So, be cautious if you have multiple layouts. Additionally, if you are using xmodmap and your system does not use setxkbmap, using the setxkbmap command may cause confusion when attempting to modify key bindings in xmodmap.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed how to clear Xmodmap settings on Ubuntu using the setxkbmap command. This command provides a modern and flexible way to configure the keyboard in Xorg. However, it’s important to be aware of its potential impact on your system, especially if you have multiple keyboard layouts or if you are using xmodmap for key binding modifications.
Xmodmap is a utility for modifying keymaps and pointer button mappings in Xorg, the open-source X Window System that Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions use.
To clear Xmodmap settings on Ubuntu, you can use the setxkbmap command. This command is a part of the X Keyboard Extension (XKB) and provides a more modern way of configuring the keyboard in Xorg.
The basic syntax of the setxkbmap command is setxkbmap [options] [layout]. The options parameter is used to specify various options, and the layout parameter is used to specify the keyboard layout.
You can use the following command to check the default configuration in /etc/X11/xorg.conf: sed -n '/Identifier.*Keyboard/,/EndSection/p' /etc/X11/xorg.conf. This command will print the keyboard section of the Xorg configuration file.
If you have checked the default configuration using the previous command and obtained the necessary information (such as the keyboard model, layout, and options), you can use the setxkbmap command to reset the keyboard. For example, setxkbmap -model pc105 -layout us -option grp:alt_shift_toggle will reset the keyboard to the default US layout with the specified options.
Yes, it’s important to note that using the setxkbmap command with the -layout option may reset the layout for all language supports you have. So, be cautious if you have multiple layouts. Additionally, if you are using xmodmap and your system does not use setxkbmap, using the setxkbmap command may cause confusion when attempting to modify key bindings in xmodmap.
